10 years after, Plateau varsity gets NUC’s nod

Following the inspection of infrastructural facilities at the Plateau state University in Bokkos by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Julius Okojie, a technical team from the Commission is assessing the institution’s programme for accreditation.

A source from the university told The Nation that the NUC team is currently assessing the third faculty since arriving three weeks ago.

“The team of inspectors arrived the school three weeks ago and in the period, completed inspection of two faculties, Social Sciences and Management. Now they are handling that of Faculty of Arts.

“From all indications, the team from NUC are satisfied with what they are seeing and at the end of it all, they are going to recommend full accreditation of the school. Truly the university has been transformed since the coming of the Governor Simon Lalong administration especially his decision of the governor to appoint Prof Attahiru Jega as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of the University as well as the restore Prof Danjuma Dognaan Sheni as the substantive vice chancellor of the university.”

The Nation learnt that the students are enthusiastic about the development, especially as the university has been unable to graduate students since its establishment 10 years ago.

During his visit, Okojie said the programmes of the institution were not accredited by the NUC due to lack of infrastructure in the school.

Okojie applauded the current university management for prudent management of resources, which he said has led to significant progress in facility development.

He said: “From what I have seen, the institution is ready for accreditation. The institution will only need more funds to add more structures to the existing ones for the comfort of students and staff.

“The student population is a small one. By the time we have accreditation more students would be flowing into the institution. That will also create new challenges so as the catch up with additional population.

Okojie explained that the regulatory body did not support the past administration’s intrusion in the running of the university, which negatively affected the institution.

“NUC refused to undertake the accreditation of programmes in the institution following the report of an investigation panel set to investigate the problems facing the institution.

“From our findings, the past governor had no business sacking the Vice Chancellor. The NUC is now happy as the new governor is beginning to implement the recommendations of that report,” he said.

The NUC boss appealed to the students to consider their delay in the institution as a sacrifice for other students that would come in future.

•Sheni

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Doknan Sheni, said the institution has a population of 1,823 students in 17 departments and four faculties. He also noted that the university had put in place a strong staff development programme to enhance its growth.

“Currently, we have 25 of our staff drawn from each local government area of the state doing their PhD programmes outside the country. The initiative is going to be a continuous process. We want to take a minimum of 17 persons and send them abroad to obtain their PhDs every year,” he said.

Sheni is optimistic that by the time his tenure ends, the institution would have at list a minimum of 85 academics with PhDs or about completing their programmes to strengthen the work force.

He said the university is putting all mechanisms in place to ensure success in the upcoming accreditation exercise.

Meanwhile, he said The Senate has approved that graduating students of the institution would take their laboratory courses at the University of Jos. But he assured that the institution’s laboratories would soon be accredited.

“Those in their final year, the school labs are going to be equipped for accreditation before they would graduate “ said the VC.